Miami vs. Notre Dame live updates: Hurricanes put No. 1 ranking on the line against No. 11 Fighting Irish

David Lake of InsideTheU did a great job breaking down Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr's strengths and weaknesses this week. He also pulled some data on where and how Carr attacks the field. The most noticeable trait: he rarely throws swings and screens, passes typically caught behind the line of scrimmage.

Behind the line of scrimmage: 9% of attempts
0-9 air yards: 47.7% of attempts
10-19 yards: 16.2%
20+ yards: 21.2%

Carr ranks fourth in the country in the percentage share of deep throws. He's thrown more deep shots (47) than intermediate passes (36). SImply put, Carr is among he best on deep shot plays.

Cooper Barkate was Darian Mensah's top target a year ago, when they were teammates at Duke. That hasn't been the case at Miami, where Malachi Toney triples Barkate's production. Now that Toney is out for the biggest game of the season, might Mensah and Barkate reignite their unbreakable connection from a year ago?

Barkate has only 28 catches for 372 yards and four touchdowns through eight games, a noticeable drop from his 1,106-yard season a year ago with the Blue Devils. Last week, in a 38-35 win at North Carolina, he only played 34 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. Barkate's best game this season was a five-catch performance for 98 yards and one touchdown in a 41-13 win at Clemson on Oct. 3.

What does Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson have up his sleeve for Barkate in the scheme? That, and revving up the running game with Mark Fletcher Jr., might be the biggest question facing the Hurricanes today.

Notre Dame opened as a 4.5-point favorite and is now laying 5.5, with the total at 57.5. History sides with the Irish. Now that Malachi Toney is out, siding with the Irish becomes an easy play. Notre Dame will play the nation's most efficient quarterback either way, but how different does he look without his top option? Meanwhile, Notre Dame's red-zone defense has struggled against far lesser offenses, so will Toney's absence actually matter? Miami is 5-3 against the spread this season. Notre Dame is 4-4. The Irish can win this game, but covering by five points will still be difficult. Pick: Miami +5.5 -- Brandon Marcello

No. 1 Miami may be without star receiver Malachi Toney against No. 11 Notre Dame on Saturday, but the team hopes to have him back in time for the postseason. Sources tell CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz that the early feel on a return timetable is that Toney is expected to miss four to six weeks after undergoing ankle surgery.

Toney suffered a high-ankle sprain in practice this week that will knock him out for the rest of the regular season, but the team hopes surgery will help the sophomore receiver return in time to chase a national championship.

Malachi Toney injury update: Early expectation has Miami star WR returning in time for postseason run

Austin Nivison

Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr is dealing with a problematic case of inaccuracy on downfield throws. Over the Fighting Irish's past two games, he is just 4 for 24 on passes traveling 15+ air yards. Contrast that to the season's first six games, when he was 21 of 39 on such attempts, and it's clear something has changed.

Miami's Darian Mensah is the national leader in passing efficiency and completion percentage (80.7%) and has been firmly No. 1 in the CBS Sports QBPR for several weeks. The Duke transfer has upgraded Miami's offense and can bolster an already-strong Heisman Trophy case with a strong performance. Edge: Miami

Who has the edge in Miami vs. Notre Dame? Position-by-position breakdown for major showdown

David Cobb